LIFE AFTER A HEART TRANSPLANT

Today was a coin toss, Lauren was either going to be admitted or were we going to be able to come home. Driving up to the hospital this morning for Lauren’s doctor appointment, was a very quite ride. So many thoughts and emotions, and of course Lauren sleeps. The Teddy bear with Lauren, was a gift from one her great friend Norm. On the Teddy’s shirt it says, “Lauren Warrior Girl”. He gave it to her for Christmas and said “it was large enough forher to cuddle with in the hospital”. She absolutely love it. Norm, your a great friend to Lauren and to our family
When we arrived at the hospital we were early, so something that I have never done in my life, I fell asleep in the waiting room. This pass week I have been running around for Christmas, then preparing for maybe our hospital stay. It caught up with me. Lauren had to wake me up lol I said “were are we?” I guess I finally had a few quite minutes to myself. I have NEVER ever done that before. Lauren and my husband Dean said they were waiting for me to start snoring, nice.
During the appointment the doctor said that Lauren looked great and she was not going to admit Lauren today. What a relief came over all of us. But then she did say, they expect Lauren to be admitted next week. They are going to call us with the date.
Ok, you are probably asking why does she have to be admitted to wait for her heart and kidney transplant? Lauren’s body is strong and they want her to stay that way. When she is admitted into the hospital Lauren will have a PA line (Pulmonary Artery Catheter Line), which is placed in her neck into her artery so they can read Lauren’s heart functions, and medication goes through the IV to help her heart beat.
Lauren right now is a status 1B, but when we go into the hospital Lauren will be a !A top of the list. Last time when Lauren waited for her gift of life, Lauren became very sick, that is why she ended up with an LVAD, bridge to her heart transplant. It is hard to say this, but this time Lauren does have that opportunity for a LVAD. A transplanted heart cannot have a LVAD implanted into it. So we don’t that that cushion. So the sooner we move into the hospital, the chances for Lauren to receive her gifts of life a heart and kidney may come sooner.
With Lauren’s health being in a good spot, her surgery and recovery will hopefully be easier for her than last time. If you may remember it took her 5 months to recover from the surgery. So many set backs over and over again.

As it stands right now, we do know we are moving into the hospital after the New Year, next week. Our luggage is packed and ready to go. Took them out of the car when we got home, so they are just going to hang out in the hallway. It is such a hard emotion knowing when we do move in, it will be months. After Lauren had her heart transplant 4 years ago, I said “I could never live that life again”. Watching my daughter hooked up to that PA line, (if you remember we referred to it as Lauren’s leash) was one of the hardest time of my life. Yet, now we are placed back into the same position. That expression “Never say Never” applies here. Lauren is scared and nervous, she knows what to expect and knows the pain she will have to endure. Time to be her cheerleader again. We did it once, we will do it again.
I would like to end this post by saying we received some GREAT news today . My mother has been hospitalized, for the last couple of days. She was discharged today. My mother had a procedure done at the being of the month for her leg circulation, she was experiencing pain, so my sister Laureen took her to her doctors He then admitted her into the hospital. They were able to find out what was happening and was able to fix the problem. So today no one in my family is in the hospital. How was your Day??
Incase you would like to read about Lauren’a first heart transplant and what it is like to live in the hospital waiting for a heart transplant pick up a copy of our book Strength in aHeartbeat, Diary of a Heart Transplant

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If you have been following my blog new heart new beginnings, first thank you so much. I have a new site http://www.strengthinaheartbeat.com that I have been writing in. If you follow this blog please go to the new site to sign up to follow that one. I am still writing about me and my daughters adventures from her after a heart transplant, plus alt of new things. So please visit my new site http://www.strengthinaheartbeat.com

Awhile ago, one of my bucket list is to write a book about our journey, It’s done. Check that off the bucket list. I would love to reconnect with everyone.

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My book Strength in a Heartbeat, Diary of a Heart Transplant was created from a

journal I would write in when Lauren and I were living in Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston Ma. waiting for her gift of life, a heart.
So many people encouraged me to turn my journal into a book. After a long thought process, I decided to do it. My goal for publishing our story is to help other’s that are living in the same situation we were in. To help them feel they are not alone. When we were living in the hospital, many miles away from family and friends, I felt very alone, scared and always wondering what the day would hold for us. Is it going to be a good day or bad day? Sitting there watching my daughter connected to so many machines, always feeling like I just want to take her and go home back to our life before this all happened. Asking God, “why” and to please help her, give her the strength to get through another day. A mother should never have to watch her daughter live this type of life.
When I finally decided to write my book, it was very hard. I was reliving every day over and over again. It took me two years to complete the process. I found a great editor to work with to help perfect the final product.
So now the manuscript is now in book form, time to find a publisher. I self published from the company Createspace. This company took me through the process of creating my book cover and formatting my book the way I envisioned it.
I highly recommend this company if someone wants to self publish a book.
I released my book for sale in August 2017, since then it is now selling on Amazon, (paperback and kindle versions), Shop on the Pike Gift Shop in Brigham and Women’s Hospital gift shop and also Odyssey Bookshop.
I am hoping this book will help people understand the organ transplant process and the importance of becoming an organ donor.
​

TO SUM IT UP:
I have slept in a hospital chair, window sills and couches. Skipped meals and cried from fear. I have become an expert on Lauren’s condition. I am a strong advocate that had to make life changing decisions.
​ I am a parent of a medically complex Warrior !!!​Lynne Robitaille

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It’s Official my book “Strength in a Heartbeat, Diary of a Heart Transplant in now for sale at ODYSSEY BOOKSHOP, in South Hadley on the Commons.

Writing this book, was very hard. Not only did we live this journey, but when I sat down to create this book, I had to re-live it over and over again. I am very proud of how the book’s finished product came out.
I need to give a big shout out to my editor; Sutton Mason for her patience, understanding (working with a novice), her humor and compassion in working with me on this project. Thank you Sutton.
Well. it’s done and now selling in multiple venues. I am so proud to announce it is now selling at the “OdysseyBookshop“, in South Hadley next to Mount Holyoke College.
Check, off bucket list.

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For a a limited time,

Strength in a Heartbeat,

Diary of a Heart Transplant

Paperback copy: Sales price $15.96, regular price $19.95.

Kindle edition : Sale price $2.99, regular price $5.99

Customer review:

“It captivates your thoughts and draws you into each day, each battle and struggle. Not only do you begin to understand the magnitude of what’s going on, it comes from a mother’s perspective watching what her child is going through. You see the raw life in a hospital where day after day you see improvement only to take major steps back. You will be in awe of the human spirit, the strength of a warrior, whose thirst for life drove her through the day to day challenges receiving a new heart has brought. I encourage you to read this, to learn and understand the strength of our drive to live, to do more than survive, so when life knocks on your door (and it will at some point) you can know the strength to persevere is in there, it’s locked inside, we just need the courage and strength to let our warrior come out to save us”.

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For a a limited time, Strength in a Heartbeat, Diary of a Heart Transplant on Kindle is on sale for

$2.99 regular price $5.99. Purchase today.

Customer review:

“It captivates your thoughts and draws you into each day, each battle and struggle. Not only do you begin to understand the magnitude of what’s going on, it comes from a mother’s perspective watching what her child is going through. You see the raw life in a hospital where day after day you see improvement only to take major steps back. You will be in awe of the human spirit, the strength of a warrior, whose thirst for life drove her through the day to day challenges receiving a new heart has brought. I encourage you to read this, to learn and understand the strength of our drive to live, to do more than survive, so when life knocks on your door (and it will at some point) you can know the strength to persevere is in there, it’s locked inside, we just need the courage and strength to let our warrior come out to save us”.

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Educate, we are always educating people every day. It could be as simple as giving directions or giving a speech in a filled hall. We are always looking for something new, better more appealing and in doing so we study different brands, reviews and websites.

Let;s say for instance you buy a new toy for your child. You open the box, take out all the piece’s, with confidence you try to put it together. Then you realize, you have no clue what in the world you are doing. So you reach for the directions and you achieve your goal of putting the toy together. Now you are educated on how the toy operates.

I myself feel I have something to offer in the way of education. I just published my book “Strength in a Heartbeat“, Diary of a Heart Transplant. It is a journal I kept when my daughter was placed on the heart transplant list and we were living in the hospital. It gives people an idea of what life is like, being on an organ transplant list. The goal of this book is to help others that may be in the same situation as we were.

You can find it at www.strengthinaheartbeat.com

Think of all the things today you may teach or learn…

Lynne

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Strength in a Heartbeat

Diary of a Heart Transplant

This book is a true, real life account of what it is to hear “your daughter’s heart is failing; we are going to place her on the heart transplant list. The journey we were on is nothing like what you see in the movies. I wish it was. Nothing prepared us for what our lives would be like for nearly a year and a half. The doctor’s favorite motto was “this is not a sprint, it’s a marathon.

Boy did we learn that.

to get your copy

Lynne

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Finally got the ‘courage’ to start reading my Mom’s book- Strength in a Heartbeat, where I left off.. and I’m blown away with everything I/my family went through. There are things I went through that I had no idea.
Needing an organ transplant is far from how they protray it in the movies. There isn’t that special room in every hospital that just keeps healthy organs ready to go. All coming with zero complications and a lifetime guarantee. HA! Some people may only wait days, others months (I waited 9 months & 16 days) or years, while some never get ‘the call’ or even put on the list.
If you’d like to learn more about our incredible journey and what I had to go through, just to be able to write this post today, check out Lynne Matosky Robitaille new book.. Strength in a Heartbeat.
You can get it on..www.strengthinaheartbeat.com
Amazon
or come stop by & see me for your copy🙂
Thank you to those who have already purchased & read it! 🖤💜